Sweet Possession
by Marduk42
Summary: A broken-hearted Ken seeks solace in a book promising awesome powers...but what's the price to pay for revenge? (AU, yaoi, violence, demons, and various other things that would probably label me as corruptor of young children if I were a novelist)
1. The Book, the Doll, and the Assassin

Sweet Possession  
by Marduk  
  
***  
  
This story, although it was bouncing in my head for a while, is written as a gift fic to Tenchi Kaze. My most important note here is that this is an AU, and I neither own Digimon nor the basic storyline here. The latter is based on an elaborate story-arc from "Sluggy Freelance". I'm not sharing which one, but it should be obvious if you are familiar with the comic strip. Another point: relationships (as in platonic and familial) are somewhat altered from 'canon' (the concept upon which I spit! Sorry. Bitterness keeps coming through. Mimi and Daisuke are NOT romantically engaged, and I'm tempted making them related). Anyway, please keep this in mind: unless shown in the fic, none of the Digidestined have met before. They also are not Digidestined. In this world, there is no access to the Digiworld. This is completely and totally an AU. It is dark and yaoi-ish, so weak of heart and closed of mind, stay away.  
  
***  
  
Asimov. Baum. Pratchett. Anthony. Thousands of other names were represented by the books there. The bookstore, a small affair hidden in a back alley of Tamachi, was haunted by a young man wandering among them. His violet eyes, stained with tears, glanced at books at random, hoping to find a new story of a world he hadn't seen yet. Oz? Narnia? He'd read all of them here. He leaned against a stack of Rowlings, sighing. He fought once again to keep the tears away. He would not cry. Not over-him. He was 31 years old, not some love-struck teenager. He wouldn't cry. Just because the only excitement he had in life had abandoned him, didn't mean he had to cry. He could handle himself.  
  
"Why?" he asked quietly, the tears forming in his eyes. For another time-he had lost count of how many times he had cried-the tears flowed down his cheeks. Angrily, he fought for balance, his hand gripping the shelves. Suddenly, they caught on something. He glanced at the book. Bound in brownish leather, the title was written in spidery script. Beneath three elaborate runes lay the title. There was no author.  
  
//Liber Urbis Diabolorum//  
  
"The Book of the Devil's City," he whispered, afraid that the name itself would carry power. He opened the book to the first page, where the same spidery script adorned the title page.  
  
//A most thourough Account of the Magicks available to Those who have Courage enough to seek Them. Arranged and carefully checked for Inaccuracies and other Errors by Thomas Abram.//  
  
With trembling hands, the violet-eyed man turned the page, where a table of contents lay.  
  
//The Covenant for Those who would use this Book-p I  
The Basics of the most simple Magicks-p III  
Voodoo and other various Curses of Revenge upon another Person-p VII//  
  
He slammed the book shut, panting. Voodoo? Magic? He shook his head. None of it could be real. Magic simply didn't exist. However...  
  
"If it *does* exist, I can torture him..." he mused thoughtfully. "Make him suffer..." He smiled, and turned to the front counter.  
  
"Hello, Ichijouji-san. Found something you haven't read yet?" the blond woman asked cheerfully. Ichijouji handed her the book, and she smiled. "Ah! One of our older ones. It's second-hand, so there's a discount. Bound in leather, too!" She carefully filled out a receipt and handed it to him. "By the way, Ken, since when have you been interested in magic?"  
  
"Since Motomiya Daisuke crushed my heart."  
  
***  
  
//The Covenant for Those who would use this Book.  
  
Welcome, O most worthy Holder of this Book! If You have found this most unholy Book, It is certain that You hold the Potential to be a Witch. Note to Males: The Office of Witch is held by both Men and Women, with the same Name. However, It is a Necessity to inform You of the Price One must pay for the Use of such extra-ordinary Powers. If You wish to use the Power this Book can grant You, recite the following Pledge.  
  
"I, [speak name here], a Mortal of worthy Strength, promise that in Exchange for the Powers of Witchcraft and Sorcery, I will give Aid to the Powers of Darkness. Having made this Pledge, I fully realize the Powers and Gifts I will receive, and know well that every Ounce of Power I receive can be used to grant all my Desires and Wishes."  
  
This Pledge does not give One's Soul to the Powers of Darkness; It merely pledges Aid to those of Evil. Do not take this Pledge lightly, though. It is not to be made by the Faint of Heart.//  
  
Ken sat back from the book, frowning. The words of the book seemed so serious, so forbidding, yet the powers it promised...He lifted the book up, and began to speak, working to impose capital letters where they were used.  
  
"I, Ichijouji Ken, a Mortal of worthy Strength, promise that in Exchange for the Powers of Witchcraft and Sorcery, I will give Aid to the Powers of Darkness. Having made this Pledge, I fully realize the Powers and Gifts I will receive, and know well that every Ounce of Power I receive can be used to grant all my Desires and Wishes." The words hissed in the dark apartment, fizzling out, and when Ken had finished speaking, the air hung, full of energy. Suddenly, the door slammed open, and Ken, scrambling to hide the tome, found himself sprawled on the floor when his elder brother walked in.  
  
"Ken? Are you all right? You look a little...flustered." Ken glanced up at the bespectacled face of his brother, and found himself speechless.  
  
"Erm...I-well, you see...Osamu, I..."  
  
"Never mind. I probably don't want to know. By the way, I had a visitor today. A friend of yours, I think. Yagami?" Ken pushed himself onto the couch he had been slumped off of, and growled.  
  
"Hikari? What did she want?" Osamu walked over to the couch, and sat down next to his brother.  
  
"She said that she, Taichi, and Miyako are all worried about you."  
  
"I notice neither Daisuke nor Iori was included in that list," Ken muttered. "Of course, I understand that Iori hates me, but Daisuke..." He trailed off. Osamu started to massage his little brother's shoulders.  
  
"Come on, ototou, it's not the end of the world, is it?" Ken sobbed angrily, and tried feebly to push away the other bluenette.  
  
"You don't understand!" Osamu sat back, and caught sight of the leather-bound tome.  
  
"Magick?" He glanced up, almost amused. "Ken, cursing Daisuke isn't going to solve anything. Dark magic and broken hearts do not mix." There was silence, and Ken glared at his brother. "But, if you're going to get involved, remember this: never, ever, EVER mix a love potion with alcohol." He stood up, and gave a glance to Ken. "Are you going to be all right?" Ken nodded, slowly and uncertainly. "I'll see you in a few minutes." His bedroom door closed, and Ken again returned to the book. 'Voodoo and other various Curses of Revenge upon another Person'...  
  
***  
  
"Ow!" Daisuke swore, rubbing his neck. "Gods, it's like someone's squashing my neck with a rolling pin!" Miyako, sitting cross-legged on his bed, smiled indulgently.  
  
"Have you thought of seeing a psychiatrist? It could be psychosomatic." Daisuke glared at her.  
  
"Or, you know, he could be suffering from guilt pangs," Hikari added cheerfully.  
  
"Listen, you two," Daisuke hissed. "Ken and I broke up for a very good reason. I do not regret what happened, nor do I feel guilty. Now how about we go back out to the main room, where you can mock me without traumatizing my sleeping place?" He stood up, and pulled Hikari off of his bedroom floor. The brown-haired woman groaned, and stood up, pulling the purple-haired woman after her. "Ow! Damnit! Now it feels like someone's tenderizing my leg!" Hikari grinned at him.  
  
"Mimi *has* been sleepwalking lately, and you know she has a tendency to cook in her sleep."  
  
"Are you implying she's been trying to make me into some sort of filet mignon?" Daisuke demanded indignantly.  
  
"You're not tender enough," Miyako replied, a hungry grin on her lips. "And besides, without proper seasoning, you'd taste like old gym socks." Daisuke stared at her for a moment, and collapsed into a nearby chair.  
  
"You know, I can't tell if you're joking about this," he said sulkily. Miyako exchanged a grin with Hikari before returning her attention to the cinnamon-haired boy.  
  
"Judging the way I've seen her handling things," Hikari said, sniggering, "She's probably not kidding. Besides, I see her point. You would not be good to eat. Yama-kun might be a better choice. After all, he's got a more sedentary lifestyle. Less muscle, make him lean and tender, mmm..."  
  
"Now it feels like someone is shoving garlic up my nose," Daisuke complained, having ignored the brunette's journey into speculative cannibalism. "I feel like I'm being tortured by a twisted, confused voodoo priestess. Ow! Dammit!"  
  
***  
  
Ken very deliberately placed the small plushie in the microwave, and set it to "Defrost". He sat back in the kitchen, smiling grimly.  
  
"In a few seconds, Daisuke will start to feel dizzy, confused, and will start exhibiting the signs of heat stroke."  
  
"Ken? Are you in here?" Ken strided from the kitchen, almost grinning maniacally.  
  
"Hey, Yama-kun," he replied, hugging the blond man lightly. "Coming to make sure Ken isn't about to shoot his brains out or something? Because I assure you, I'm fine." *Beep Beep Beep* He glanced back into the kitchen. "Sorry, I've got something in the microwave." Yamato smiled and followed his friend into the small area.  
  
"It's nothing quite so mundane as that," he replied cheerfully. "I just decided that, as your current best friend, I could offer to visit you to help cheer you up." Ken, swinging open the microwave door, looked at the blond with a gleam in his eyes.  
  
"I could think of a few things that would cheer me up," he responded, grinning. Yamato sighed, and placed an arm on Daisuke's shoulder.  
  
"Ken, listen, I know you're upset about Daisuke, and I know that I have expressed interest in you in the past. However, I'm not willing to do anything if it's only reb-what in the *hell* is that?!" He pulled the charred fabric from the microwave, and frowned at it. "Ken, is this Daisuke?"  
  
"No; it's an effigy," he responded, pulling away from the blond. "And consider that your last chance at me." He snatched away the voodoo doll, and stalked over to the same couch on which he had first read the "Liber". The book still was resting on the coffee table.  
  
"The City of Demons? Is this new reading, or have you got a new hobby?" Ken snatched the book up, and glared at Yamato.  
  
"It's a magic book. It's where I learned to make this voodoo doll." Ken turned away. "The book has given me great power. Power beyond your imagination." He reached out a hand, and a pair of mugs drifted from the kitchen and hung before them. Another gesture, and a pile of papers flew into the air, spinning around them in hypnotic patterns. "You see? Incredible power! And it's all mine..."  
  
"Ken, you can't be serious!" Yamato snapped. "No one just 'gets' these powers. There's always a price." Ken smiled at Yamato in a way that indicated that Ken was using smaller words than necessary to make sure that his audience understood.  
  
"Yama-kun, this book doesn't give these powers to whatever yahoo picks it up. Obviously, it's last owner didn't get any use from it."  
  
"Either that, or it destroyed him," Yamato muttered.  
  
***  
  
"Oh, 'niisan!" Hikari bubbled, handing him a pile of papers. "There was a bunch of mail for you, and someone came to the door complaining about some recent transactions. I mean, sometimes I don't think you have what it takes to handle business affairs online. Don't you agree with me, Miyako?" Miyako was staring nervously at the ceiling. "Miyako?" Miyako looked at her suddenly, shaking her head violently.  
  
"It's been eerily quiet upstairs," she commented. "Has Daisuke been working on any...you know, projects?" The lights suddenly flickered and died, and very loud swearing could be heard from upstairs.  
  
"My guess would be yes," Hikari commented dryly.  
  
***  
  
"Dai-kun, if you had told me that the button would do something like that, I wouldn't have pushed it!" Mimi snapped, sulking on the couch. The smoking remains of what could have once been a computer, or a paper shredder, or even conceivably a small nuclear fusion reactor, were gathered in a corner of the room. Daisuke shot glares at the pink-haired woman who, besides being his roommate, was also his constant annoyance.  
  
"Well, it could have been worse..." he muttered. "You could have taken out the food processor." Mimi rolled her eyes.  
  
"So, when are we going to get power back? I've got a date with a cute scientist later tonight, and my HAIR'S FRIZZING!" Daisuke grabbed a flashlight and headed out the door.  
  
"I don't even know why I let you live here," he muttered angrily.  
  
"Because I'm cute, rich, and easily amused!" Mimi shouted after him. "Is this a taser?"  
  
***  
  
"I'm really annoyed that you keep calling this 'evil'," Ken commented absently. "It's not good or evil-it's just power." He reached over for his phone, and pulled out a sheet of paper. He dialed a number, and waited a moment. "Hello? Is Owikawa-san there? Yes, I'm calling from the Rising Sun Credit card company. I was wondering if Mr. Owikawa would be interested in a free up-oh." He returned the phone to the receiver, and stared at Yamato questioningly. "What?"  
  
"You're telemarketing? Why, Ken?"  
  
"It's part of the Price for my power," he explained. Yamato stared at him, disbelieving.  
  
"Telemarketing?"  
  
"I didn't say there wasn't any evil involved, Yama-kun." He carefully wrapped the voodoo doll's leg in the phone cord, and hung it upside-down. "Evil is part of the Price."  
  
***  
  
"Hello, Daisuke. How are you doing today?" The short, smug woman who owned the building smiled at the man hanging upside-down above the steps to the basement.  
  
"I should think it was obvious," Daisuke replied, annoyed.  
  
"Have you been taking drugs?" she asked curiously. "I mean, just because I haven't heard of one that does this doesn't mean that-"  
  
"I'm guessing it's a voodoo doll," Daisuke interrupted. "And could you hurry up with the power? My roommate has a date."  
  
***  
  
"Rosa, I hope you're ready." The young woman nodded.  
  
"I must eliminate Target A. If impossible, I must locate Gound Zero, and halt events there. Beforehand, I must blend into society." The doctor nodded, running a nervous hand through his graying hair.  
  
"Good. Do you have the halt/reverse temporal blaster?" She nodded. The doctor approached the controls for the Machine. "Prepare yourself. I am sending you to Odaiba, Japan, three weeks prior to the Ascension. The future-the present, rests in your hands." He diplomatically did not mention that there would be no thanks, no honors. She knew that, but this was not the moment to discuss it.  
  
"Dr.! There's been a security leak! The Spirals-ack!" The doctor flipped a switch, and Rosa vanished in a flash of light. Then, the doctor himself entered the Machine, and grimly waved goodbye as the electronics sped him to where no one else would be able to follow.  
  
***  
  
"Ken, maybe you should stop with the voodoo doll thing," Osamu commented sternly. "I mean..."  
  
"Oh, I'll drop it," Ken answered from the living room. "I just started a new chapter in the 'Liber' anyway. 'Pain and Torture for the Accolyte'." Osamu glanced from the kitchen in at his brother.  
  
"Ken, I am worried. Maybe you could lay off the magic for a little bit, ne?"  
  
"No," Ken replied, focusing his attention on the "Liber". "Daisuke will feel every ounce of pain he has dealt to me, inflicted a thousand times more upon him. Make no mistake of that." Osamu returned to the kitchen, where he found himself wondering whether voodoo really did work, and if so, what was making it work. He knew power didn't come from nowhere, so logically, something must have the power, and was giving it to Ken.  
  
"But...whatever it is can't just want to help Ken, could it? It has to want something in return; the only question is...what?"  
  
***  
  
"Hello, Mr. Hida. Nice to see you out and about again," the librarian said cheerfully to the short, surly brunette. He managed a smile, and made a beeline for the astrology section. She was used to him doing this. He always left the library at closing time, telling her about vague prophecies of death and destruction. Most of the staff called him Hikari, for obvious reasons. She watched him go, and found herself wondering if his predictions had any merit.  
  
Iori slid into a seat, and, carrying half a dozen astrology texts, began to consult with them the position of the skies the night before. The stars had been speaking about the Catastrophe, but he had to find out how much time they had. A week? A month? He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. Humanity's only hope was the book, and he had yet to trace it. And then, after the book, there was the need for the Storm-Breaker, and the right events, and the prophesized "Battle atop the Building of Ore, between the most unholy Demon and the Fool of Genius", whatever the hell *that* was supposed to mean. Suddenly, his pen fell from his fingers.  
  
"Holy crap."  
  
***  
  
"Target 1 discovered. Per description, he is a 31-year-old brunette, living at referenced residence. Several other notables are present in the vicinity, including the first documented casuality of the Catastrophe. This is Rosa reporting in. I must now find a way to make contact with Target 1 in order to assassinate him. He-llo, handsome." There was a pause. "Disregard last remark." The young woman walked (stalked was a better word to use) across the street, and approached a rather menancholy bluenette. "Hey, cutie," she said, reaching out a hand. "What's a guy like you doing running around out here alone?" He looked Rosa up and down, and smiled faintly.  
  
"I was coming here to visit a friend of mine. Actually, I was just leaving. You know, would you like to go grab a cup of coffee or something?"  
  
"Si," Rosa replied. "I'd love to."  
  
***  
  
End Part 1. Please tell me what you think! This is only the beginning, and I assure you that this is not really going to be a Roken (I have no idea what you'd call a Rosa/Ken, but this isn't one). It definitely will spice up, but for now, this is sort of a prologue. 


	2. The Spell, the Possession, and the Omni-...

Sweet Possession  
  
***  
  
Part II  
  
***  
  
Here's the second part to this series, and thanks to everyone who reviewed the last part. Anyway, warning time! I do not own Digimon, nor do I own any of the characters...sigh. In addition, the comic from which I got my inspiration for this fic  
Daisuke: Didn't you steal the whole plot?  
Marduk: Shut up. I do not own "Sluggy Freelance" (and, admittedly, I like it perfectly fine where it is now). Also, the Omni-Taser Supreme© is solely not mine, and I do not take the credit for thinking it up (although I do like to think I'm clever enough to have come up with it. but the point is, I didn't). Frankly, I'm only hoping that no one sues me. I'm not worth suing, really! Anyway, this story is dark and yaoi-ish, and contains violence and weird dark magic, so close-minded and weak-hearted, stay away!  
  
***  
  
"Daisuke, what are you playing with?" Miyako asked of the brunette. Daisuke looked up, and pulled a huge gun from his trench coat. Hikari instinctively curled up on the couch, and Miyako growled at him.  
  
"It's a laser cannon," he explained. "It's my opinion that you can never be too prepared in the weaponary category-especially when a vindictive ex-boyfriend is at large."  
  
"You're kidding!" Hikari, who had only ever identified her species as 'fallen angel', responded. "He's a person; you wouldn't shoot him with a laser cannon, would you?"  
  
"Honestly, I'd shoot an ex-boyfriend if he tried anything," Miyako added cynically.  
  
"But you don't have any," Hikari pointed out. "All you've got is me."  
  
"Which sometimes is not the bargain it seems to be."  
  
"Miya!"  
  
"Besides, if my ex-boyfriend decides to try something, I've got my Omni-Taser Supreme©." He pulled out an elaborate contraption of wires, generators, and a trigger. It looked vaguely unpleasant, and Hikari drew back from it. Taichi walked in, and smiled at the three people there.  
  
"What's going on? Daisuke make a new gadget?"  
  
"Yes!" Daisuke raised the Omni-Taser Supreme©, grinning. "My defense against anything that could befall me-demons, vampires, or even futuristic terminators set on changing the course of the future!" Taichi grabbed it, and smiled at it.  
  
"Cool!" The two women on the couch rolled their eyes, and Hikari took the moment to pose a question.  
  
"You know, Daisuke, I've sort of wondered..." She trailed off for a moment. Mimi took the opportunity to pop in from the kitchen.  
  
"She wants to know why you broke up with Ken. He was crazy about you, you know." Daisuke dropped his head, and he muttered something.  
  
"Pardon? I didn't quite get that," Miyako said sweetly.  
  
"I said it was sort of mutual," Ken muttered.  
  
"I'm sure; you know what else? I'm actually Jimmy Carter!" Daisuke frowned.  
  
"It's my business. I don't have to tell you anything."  
  
"Okay, Mr. Carter!" Mimi said brightly, and vanished into the kitchen again. Miyako frowned, and pulled a switchblade knife from her pocket. Thoughtfully opening it, she looked up at Daisuke.  
  
"Well, now I'm curious, so how about you share before I decide to 'interrogate' you?"  
  
"I-well, I wasn't ready to enter a committed relationship," Daisuke explained, "And Ken wanted more out of the relationship than I could-"  
  
"Fear of commitment. I understand. Inability to perform, or, possibly, performance anxiety. Good show." Miyako grinned, and returned the blade to her many pockets. Daisuke carefully returned his weaponary to his trench coat, frowning. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, and Taichi hurried to answer it.  
  
"Hi! Nice to see you, Ken." Ken entered the main room to find Hikari and Miyako sniggering on the couch. Daisuke himself had fled to the kitchen with Mimi. Ken pulled a slightly younger woman in after him.  
  
"Hi, Taichi. This is Rosa, my girlfriend." Taichi nodded, and Miyako and Hikari introduced themselves to the pretty, Latin American woman. Rosa nodded to all of them. She looked over Taichi, and a faint sense of-anger? flashed over her face.  
  
"Hi, all of you, but I've got to go. Hey, babe, I'll catch you later." She gave the bluenette a forceful kiss, and swept out the door elegantly. The room was silent for a moment.  
  
"Is it just me, or does she rub me the wrong way?" Taichi asked.  
  
"Good; I was hoping my urge to rip out her eyeballs wasn't just jealousy." Daisuke stepped out of the kitchen, frowning.  
  
"Did she call you 'babe'?" Miyako asked, sniggering. "You never seemed the 'babe' type." She quietly chuckled at him. Ken smiled, trying to ignore them.  
  
"Well, she's a nice girl. A bit aggressive, but..."  
  
"I don't know; she worries me." Ken frowned.  
  
"Well, I'm dating her, so it's not your place to judge."  
  
***  
  
//The Prophet then spoke of One who was known as the Breaker of Wind. But we knew that the Words were not changed easily from one Tongue to Another. It was not a Windbreaker, but a Storm Breaker. And when the Storm of the Soul Collector arises, only One who knows the Use of the most Holy Book holds a Candle's Chance to defeating the Vowelless One.//  
  
"Well, that makes a hell of a lot of sense," Iori complained. He dropped the books, and glared at the wall. If only he had some indication of what was supposed to happen, where it would happen, and how it would happen, and then there was the prospect of finding the Book...  
  
"I need maps. I have to find this location within the next week."  
  
"Ah," Iori heard the check-out woman, one of the few people there who called him Iori, reply. "Trying to find a friend?"  
  
"Sure." Iori heard that accented voice again. There was a voice of desparation in her voice that marked something bigger than she let on. Perhaps...she knew something important. He stood up, and managed to stop behind the woman.  
  
"May I help, Miss?" She whirled on him, startled.  
  
"I-I, no, it's nothing." She stepped back from the desk, frowning. "I just have some people I have to find, and it's-" She swore, and dropped a pile of papers. Bending down to retrieve them, Iori caught sight of a picture. Of Daisuke.  
  
"Oh! I know him; I could introduce you to him. Or do you know him already?" The woman, blank-eyed, stepped away from Iori.  
  
"I-well, I-oh god, look at the time, I've got to go. Bye!" She vanished in a whirl of papers and cloth, and Iori watched her flight.  
  
"Odd girl."  
  
***  
  
"Ken? Ken? What's going on here?" Osamu found himself entranced by the candles, various implements of destruction, and-pentagrams? arranged in the apartment.  
  
"Oh, hi, 'Niichan," Ken said brightly. "I was setting up for a semi-major spell. Please don't touch anything; the stars won't be in alignment for another couple of days."  
  
"So why is it arranged now?"  
  
"I never liked to start something and then realize I had forgotten something important. I would especially like that you just left the blood in the refrigerator alone."  
  
"Blood?! Ken, listen, I've been very supportive about this whole...evil magic thing, but I'm drawing the line at blood in the apartment."  
  
"Would you rather it on the counter?" Ken retorted. There was a few moments of silence.  
  
"Okay. But just this once."  
  
***  
  
Taichi, trying to focus on a new book (he enjoyed his time away from his roommates well), glanced up, startled, when the thin Rosa appeared in the doorway.  
  
"Um, hello?" he inquired. "What are you doing here?" Rosa smiled, and peered around.  
  
"I'm looking for Daisuke. See him around?" Taichi shook his head.  
  
"Sorry. You know, Rosa, I really don't think you're quite the sort of person who should be dating-" He choked as the barrel of a shotgun faced his nose.  
  
"Are you implying something, Buttercup?" Taichi, never one to think clearly when staring down a gun, raised his hands peacably.  
  
"Sorry! Gods, please don't kill me!" Rosa swung the gun down, and smiled at him.  
  
"Hey, it's all right. How about you tell me where Daisuke is?"  
  
"I think he's over at Ishida Yamato's house; it's a few dooors down...we're all trying to deal with Ken's recent interest in the occult, and they're his closest friends." Rosa's head snapped up.  
  
"Occult? As in...magic?" Taichi nodded.  
  
"Voodoo dolls and the like. His brother knows more, but-" Rosa was gone, and Taichi heard the screeching of rubber on pavement. He hurried to the phone, and dialed quickly. "Hey, Daisuke? Rosa tried to kill me, and she's heading over to Ken's with a shotgun. Something big's going down, and Ken's in danger!"  
  
***  
  
"What is it?" the red-haired man asked from the darkness. The brown-haired woman bowed to him.  
  
"The monitors sensed a flare of-of octo-plasm, and...I thought you should know." The man frowned.  
  
"Is it time already? Six years, has it been?" She nodded.  
  
"Five since you found me." The man sighed.  
  
"Then we must prepare. Before it is over, millions will die-unless we act now."  
  
***  
  
Her fingers were around his throat, choking off air, draining his energy. He scrabbled, fighting off her tightening fingers.  
  
"Why-?" he gasped out, struggling for his next breath.  
  
"You cannot-will not, survive!" the woman snarled, digging her nails into Ken's neck. Faintly, he heard an electric crackling, and suddenly, the pressure fell away. Ken, breathing hard, turned to see Daisuke holding his Omni-Taser Supreme© triumphantly over the twitching, unconscious form of Rosa.  
  
"Come on, we're getting you out of here," he declared, and dragged Ken out of the apartment. Ken opened his mouth, but then realized that right now, Daisuke was paying attention to *him*. And in the apartment, candles flickered, and a large, leather-bound tome restlessly sat on a coffee table.  
  
***  
  
Rosa sat up, and snatched the "Liber" from its resting place. She snarled, and stormed from the apartment, shivering as she crossed the threshold. Something wanted to keep the book there, something that was fighting to get near Ken. And she knew exactly what it was.  
  
"We're going to get you to a bonfire, dear," he whispered to the book.  
  
***  
  
The car turned into the parking garage of Daisuke's complex. Daisuke got out, and opened the passenger-side door.  
  
"Come on, Ken-ch-kun, get out. I'm going to sit down and talk to you about that girlfriend of yours."  
  
"Daisuke, listen, we have to go back there!" Ken insisted. Suddenly, Taichi and Yamato burst from the building, and cautiously approached Ken.  
  
"Taichi told me that you were in trouble; are you all right, Ken?" Ken turned to Yamato, and nodded.  
  
"But I have to go back there! I was performing a spell, and if I don't finish it, terrible things will befall the world!"  
  
"Um, what happens if you *do* finish it?" Daisuke asked. Ken turned shyly to him.  
  
"Um...terrible things will befall *you*."  
  
"Ken, I think we should have a little chat with you about this whole magic thing," Daisuke stated. Yamato raised his hand.  
  
"Okay, I'll stay here and keep an eye on things; you guys try and handle things at Ken's apartment." The three men nodded, and dased for the car.  
  
***  
  
"Hey, honey, is the brunette around?" Yamato turned to face Rosa, and his fingers twitched.  
  
"What are you doing here?! I ought to-"  
  
"Hey, Hey, hey! Cut the emotional shit!" Rosa responded. "I'm just doing my job, ma'am." Yamato growled.  
  
"I have long hair. Deal with it." Rosa smirked.  
  
"Anyway, my job here is done. Now that I've got the 'Liber Urbis Diabolorum', Rikim can't do anything."  
  
"Rikim?" Rosa stared at him, shocked.  
  
"You don't know? I thought-but...we assume you'd know about her..." She bowed her head. "It's a long story."  
  
"I've got time."  
  
***  
  
"Where'd the book go?" Taichi looked around the apartment curiously.  
  
"It doesn't matter," Ken muttered. "I can just wing this last part. It isn't that hard." Taichi turned to Daisuke.  
  
"So, how do you feel about this whole cursing thing?" Daisuke sighed.  
  
"Well, at least the spell won't rebound on the rest of the world." Taichi nodded.  
  
"Daisuke, I've been wondering...Rosa seemed at first looking for you, and then after I told her about Ken's magic, him. I think she knows more than she lets on. It makes me wonder...could she be some sort of secret agent?"  
  
"Or a terminator, sent to change the present to save the future?"  
  
"And do you think Ken's magic will do that?"  
  
"You think my magic will destroy the world?" Ken asked from his place amon the pentagrams and candles. "Honestly...I'm not going to destroy the future...  
**THAT'S MY JOB** He turned to them, smiling, and in an instant, his skin split away, as if the form was simply a costume. Bulbous skin, glowing eyes, and a vicious smile marked the new Ken. **HONESTLY, YOU MORTALS ARE SO FOOLISH,** he commented. **YOU NEVER SEEM TO GET THE TRUTH UNTIL IT LOOKS YOU STRAIGHT IN THE EYE, SO TO SPEAK. WELL, IT LOOKS LIKE THIS PARTY'S JUST STARTING. COME HERE, DAISUKE. I WANT TO DEVOUR YOUR HEART AND DESTROY YOUR #SOUL#.** Daisuke looked at Taichi, then back at the new Ken.  
  
"You used to date that?" Taichi asked him.  
  
"He has a really great personality," Daisuke explained. Suddenly, they both realized their situation, turned, and fled the apartment. Ken's mouth turned up in a hungry smile.  
  
**RUN ALL YOU WANT, BOYS. YOU CAN'T HIDE...**  
  
***  
  
"All we know is that the demon suddenly appeared in your world, and she fought with Target 1: Motomiya Daisuke. After the battle, she was immensely more powerful, and within a few months, the Earth fell to her. After 25 years of rule, she had nearly succeeded in destroying humanity. Our small rebel group represented the last humans alive. When she began an assault on us, Izumi-hakase revealed his crowning achievment: a time machine. It was my mission to kill Daisuke before he could fight the demon." Rosa sighed.  
  
"But then you realized that Ken's use of magic linked him to the demon," Yamato pointed out. Rosa nodded.  
  
"I tried to keep him from completing a spell which I believe will free the demon Rikim," Rosa responded sadly. "But all I got was the 'Liber'." She held it out. Yamato took it from the woman's hands, and opened it. He began to read aloud.  
  
"Through the Use of this Book, One may summon a powerful Demon to do his Bidding. The Demon, after fulfilling the Caster's Wish, will then be set free." He looked at Rosa.  
  
"This is bad news."  
  
***  
  
/*~You have shown great folly, H'Kari. Because of your choices, we are exiling you.~  
  
"No!" She glared hopelessly at the Council. The /Angeni/ stared back at her impassively.  
  
~Until you learn to live as a human, you will live among them. The first Man you meet will become your companion, your benefactor.~ H'Kari felt herself then spinning into darkness, clutching the only item she was allowed to keep-her book.*/  
  
"Why?" she asked of the darkness in her room. "Why the nightmares now? Is something...?" She stood up, and hurried to her dresser, and removed a book bound in thin, flexible leaves. She reached her hand over it, and gasped in shock. "Oh, Dai-kun, you do not understand what you are doing," she muttered. She returned the book to the dresser, and left to see who was home. No one. They all had left on some strange errand. Nothing was helping her efforts. She sighed.  
  
***  
  
**HELLO? IS THERE ANYONE HOME?** Demon-Ken inspected every surface in the apartment. **DAI-CHAN? ARE YOU WAITING FOR ME? I HAVE A WONDERFUL GIFT FOR YOU...** Suddenly, he turned as a figure leapt at him from the shadows.  
  
"Take that, foul demon!" Miyako's quick pass with a switchblade took a chunk out of the possessed man's arm. Ken-demon chuckled. His arm swelled, and the skin sealed itself.  
  
**FOOL! I AM IMMORTAL, AND HAVE THE POWER TO RECONSTRUCT MY BODY! BUT IF YOU WANT TO FIGHT, PREPARE TO DIE.** He raised one hand, and a lance of energy lanced out at the purple-haired woman. She considered how Taichi would react when he returned, but it really was a moot point. The demon was more important right now.  
  
"Is that the best you could do? Gods, my 90-year-old aunt has better aim than that, and she's blind!" Miyako retorted. Ken-demon smiled, and opened his mouth to reply. But no noise came out. Miyako stared at him oddly. "what are you doing?"  
  
***  
  
Iori stopped, catching sight of the writhing brunette. She clutched her ears, screaming at the people around her.  
  
"Damnit! Can't you hear it?! It's horrible! Horrible!" Iori carefully approached her.  
  
"What is it? What do you hear?" She looked up at him, and the warm eyes smiled at his. He felt comfort spread into his limbs.  
  
"Humans can't hear it," she replied noncommitally. "Only animals, spirits, and angels can hear it. And only spirits can respond to it." Iori frowned at her.  
  
"What do you mean?" Her answer was short, yet cryptic.  
  
"The Spiral-Born."  
  
***  
  
The world of spirits was filled with the unholy noise, and all spirits tried to flee it. For with the noise came the terrifying work of the Soul Collector: the Spirals. Strange contraptions of black metal whirred through the air of the metaphysical world, sometimes latching upon a shade, who would then vanish. There were not that many Spirals, really, compared to the number of dead, and the long-dead, such as Hammurabai and Tut, were safe, but it was impious, a profaning of the world of the dead. But those left behind could only watch it.  
  
***  
  
"We have to find Ken, and use the 'Liber Urbis Diabolorum' to expel the demon from his body!" Daisuke snapped at Yamato and Taichi. And all of them, including a reluctant Rosa, agreed. The rescue party, driving in a mini-van, scoured the streets of Odaiba, searching for the lost soul.  
  
***  
  
"We are gathered here to mourn the passing of Noriko Sakai," the man murmured to the crowd. But he spoke no further. The crowd was shocked to silence when a voice drifted from the coffin.  
  
"Daiiii-chhhaaaaaan."  
  
***  
  
"Doctor, we're losing her!"  
  
"Clear!"  
  
"No! Come on, please, please be alive..." The continuous tone filled the room, and the doctors fell silent. But then the patient sat up, wearily yet inexorably.  
  
"Dai-chan..."  
  
***  
  
"I'd say that these head wounds were inflicted after death; he breathed in a lot of smoke earlier." The coroner, examining the removed heart, glanced up at the noise. He dropped his scalpel, and sat, trembling. The corpse approached him, and grabbed his shirt.  
  
"Dai-chan...?" He shook his head, violently, and watched the zombie shuffle out.  
  
***  
  
**GO, MY CHILDREN! SEARCH ALL OF JAPAN IF YOU MUST, BUT FIND DAI-CHAN FOR ME! I #WILL# PAY THE PRICE, AND I SHALL EARN MY FREEDOM. SOON...**  
  
***  
  
"Okay, we have to find Ken, and then...the book says we must first cause the demon pain. How do you do that?" Taichi glanced at Daisuke speculatively.  
  
"Listen, Tai-kun, first we have to find the demon. Then we can worry about details." Then he froze. "Tai...is it just me, or is there a horde of zombies on the street?" The road was indeed crawling with corpses, all crying out a single word.  
  
"DAI-CHAAAAN."  
  
"They're looking for me," Daisuke whispered. "How can we avoid them?" Suddenly, Taichi snapped his fingers.  
  
"I've got it! Let's imagine Ken is trying to fight off the demon. He'd try to find someone who'd be unlikely to be near you and who has the knowledge to help him out."  
  
"But who do we know who could help him?"  
  
"Iori."  
  
***  
  
*I have to find Iori; he can help me get away!* Ken battered at the cell walls, fighting to escape his mental prison.  
  
**SORRY, KEN. I'VE DECIDED THE ONLY WAY TO LURE DAISUKE TO YOU IS THREATEN THOSE HE CARES ABOUT. BUT A NUMBER OF THOSE ARE TOGETHER, TRYING TO FIND YOU. IT'S AGGRAVATING...BUT THEN I REALIZED SOMETHING. HE HAS ONE PERSON CLOSE TO HIM WHO IS NOT AWARE OF THE CURRENT PREDICAMENT.** Ken saw his body, led by the demon, call a cab. **CENTRAL ODAIBA, PLEASE. THE WACB RADIO STATION** Then the demon addressed Ken himself. **I HOPE YOU'LL ENJOY THIS...** Ken felt his stomach lurch as he remembered who worked at WACB.  
  
*Jun...*  
  
***  
  
End part 2! Yes, I'm evil. I really hope you like it, and as for you who wanted to know background of Ken and Daisuke, I think the extent of it was in this story. Sorry. Maybe I'll talk more about it later, but that's unlikely. And as for Hikari, you'll probably get a little more info about her in the future. But for now, please tell me how you liked (or disliked) it. 


	3. The Battle, the Loss, and a New World

Sweet Possession  
  
***  
  
Part III  
  
***  
  
Hi, everybody. As indicated above, this is the third part of "Sweet Possession", and things will get flashy here. There will be magic, battles, displays of utter demonic power, and Taichi successfully casting a spell. I hope you all enjoy this story; please give me feedback.  
  
***  
  
All characters used are property, in one way or another, of Toei and Saban. These two fine examples of animation companies (snort!) have copyrights on all characters, and a Mr. Pete Abrams has a copyright on many of the major plot devices. Neither, I hope, will find it advantageous to sue me, especially as I am writing this story entirely for my (and hopefully, yours) amusement. Now, you may continue.  
  
***  
  
"Listen, Iori, we've got a situation," Taichi snapped, carefully making sure that Daisuke was still huddled under window height in the van. Hikari shook her head.  
  
"It's too late for anyone to do anything. The demon-she's incredibly powerful; one of the best, I'm told." Yamato glanced at her, growling.  
  
"We don't even know who this demon is!"  
  
"Her name is R'K'M, and she is also known as 'The Soul Collector'. She holds the ability to bind the dead to her will-she calls them the Spiral-Bound."  
  
"Couldn't they be called something cooler?" Taichi asked. "Like...well, something cooler!"  
  
"Deadites, or how about...Undead! Or even The Alternately Alive!" Daisuke poked his head into view long enough to make his comment. Taichi shoved him down, and Rosa responded.  
  
"Listen; R'K'M ruled our world for 25 years. She's a nearly omnipotent demon, and she had the power to RAISE THE DEAD! If she wants to call her undead minions the 'Spiral Bound', WE CALL THEM FREAKING *SPIRAL BOUND*!"  
  
"Hey, cool down," Yamato said placidly. "We were just wondering." Rosa sat back, frowning.  
  
"But right now, we have to focus on the problem at hand. Where could R'K'M be taking Ken? He obviously doesn't have enough control to guide himself..."  
  
"He'll be looking for Daisuke," Yamato pointed out. "After all, R'K'M needs to pay the price to be set free from his body."  
  
"Why the hell did Ken have to cast a spell like that?" Daisuke asked from his hiding place.  
  
"He was very upset with you," Hikari murmured. "After all, you dumped him."  
  
"I didn't-it's really difficult to explain," Daisuke stammered.  
  
"Listen, we don't have time to argue," Rosa snapped. "Zero Hour is fast approaching, and we have to act fast!"  
  
"Wait a minute; I've got an idea!" Daisuke said brightly. "If what Rosa's explained is right, and that us facing the demon is what frees it, shouldn't we just avoid her?" There was a pause. "You know, talking about Ken would be much easier if he'd been possessed by a male demon." Suddenly, the radio crackled to life.  
  
*Hello; this is Elizabeth Doyle for WACB with a late-breaking story. I'm here live at the WACB studio, where a tense hostage situation is unfolding. A young man...who appears to be part spider, has taken the host of 'Talk to Me', Motomiya Jun, hostage. Holding the woman on the roof of the building, the...erm, JACK! WHAT THE HELL DO I REFER TO THE-THE-Oh, to the hell with it. Wait...I'm being informed that the young man is in fact the demon R'K'M. Okay. Well, the demon R'K'M, who apparently, is a female-okay, that's it! I give up! Here's the story: the demon thing is holding Jun over the edge of the building, and is asking for her brother, Daisuke. I'm going to go get a drink.* Daisuke's head shot up, and he leapt to the front of the mini-van.  
  
"Okay; Rosa, get the book and get in the van. Everyone else: if you're not in the car in one minute, I'm going downtown withut you."  
  
***  
  
**WHAT'S WRONG, JUN? AFRAID OF A LITTLE HEIGHTS?** Jun, nearly paralyzed with fear, glared at the arachnid form of her little brother's friend.  
  
"You are not Ken, you are something else inhabiting his body, and I order you to get OUT!" Ken, or, rather, R'K'M, laughed.  
  
**DID YOU THINK I'D JUST LEAVE IF YOU ASKED? WHAT SORT OF-OW!** Jun was hitting R'K'M on the arm repeatedly, and he/she was flinching. **WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!** Jun smiled grimly, and continued hitting the demon. **OW!! DAMNIT! STOP IT, YOU LITTLE-**  
  
"Drop my sister!" The demon turned to face Taichi, Yamato, Hikari, Rosa, Iori, and Daisuke, the latter of whom had spoken. "Er...well, you know what I mean!"  
  
**WHAT DO YOU INTEND TO DO IF I DO NOT?** R'K'M asked, amused. Daisuke reached over and grabbed the "Liber Urbis Diabolorum" from Rosa, and turned to the demon.  
  
"First, I must cause you pain."  
  
**HA! FAT CHANCE OF-OW! DAMNIT! STOP IT-OOOOUUUCCHHHH!** Daisuke smiled, and flipped the book open.  
  
"Then, by the power of the Book, %R'K'M Bcjsf Uijt Cpez!%" The air shimmered, and Ken fell to the roof surface, Jun falling next to him.  
  
***  
  
"Miyako? Where's the others?" Osamu looked frantically around the apartment. Miyako glanced up from the television at him.  
  
"They're fighting the demon." Osamu swore.  
  
"According to the news, they're trying to exorcise the demon."  
  
"Well, what's wrong with that?"  
  
"The demon was imprisoned in the book; now, it's imprisoned in Ken. The demon was trying to free itself. An exorcism will do the same thing." Miyako glanced back at the television.  
  
"Uh oh."  
  
***  
  
"They did *what*?!" The red-haired doctor swore under his breath. "Don't they realize-"  
  
"Izumi-hakase, Rosa still has her weapon. She can-"  
  
"But it is untested. We are unsure how it will affect R'K'M. We cannot rely on her to save us. We have to finish the DimenFlux."  
  
"Right!"  
  
***  
  
**HEH, HEH, HEH, HEH, HEH...DIDN'T YOU FOOLS REALIZE? AN EXORCISM ONLY FREES ME TO THE WORLD! NOW, I AM FREE TO CONQUER THIS UNIVERSE. GO, MY CHILDREN; DO MY BIDDING!** R'K'M, a huge, eight-limbed being colored red, laughed as she stepped to the edge of the roof. **I REVEL IN THIS MOMENT OF PURE TRIUMPH! BOW DOWN TO ME!**  
  
"You forgot something, Rikim." Rosa's cold voice, although soft, was heard clearly over all the area. "I was sent here to stop you; I have the means to do so." She raised her left arm, which was clad in a metal glove. "I believe you know about this: a Temporal Inhibitor. It stops *everything* affected by the four demensions." R'K'M screamed, and tried to leap out of the way, but the flash engulfed her. When the light cleared, the spiderlike demon, face frozen in horror, stood on the roof. Rosa dropped the gun, and smiled. "Well, that's the end of that." There was silence. Finally, Yamato spoke.  
  
"What was that?" Rosa grinned.  
  
"It's a one-shot weapon intended to freeze one sentinent being in time for a thousand years. You see, by the year 2020, we discovered a method to render matter completely inaccessible to the rest of the universe, and, with R'K'M out of service until then, we can trap her there until the end of time."  
  
"Well, whatever it was, it was great!" Taichi cried. "Especially that look on her face when you shot the Time-thingie. That was classic."  
  
"Um, guys? Where'd she go?" Six pairs of eyes traveled to the empty spot where R'K'M had stood a moment ago.  
  
"Okay, there's a slight problem. The Temporal Inhibitor was based off of a device known as a DimenFlux."  
  
"Which is...?" Daisuke prompted.  
  
"A gateway to other dimensions. Therefore, it is a definite possibility that R'K'M, in the freezing process, was sent to another world." Silence fell over the group.  
  
"Well, then what can we do?"  
  
"There is nothing we *can* do...R'K'M is in another world, and we cannot trace her." And so, the procession down to the earth again, even with the freed Ken, was a somber one. R'K'M was defeated, but at what cost?  
  
***  
  
"Lord Joe, why do you not fight against the new threat to our land?" The blue-haired king looked up at his advisor.  
  
"Stephen, there is no threat. Merlin's talk of demons and the legendary 'Storm-Breaker' is nothing that concerns us." Stephen nodded, but as he left the room, he took a long glance into his king's eyes. He nodded, and vanished into the hallways of the castle. Joe, after seeing him leave, relaxed in the throne. His shape shifted into that of a /Corps/, an undead creature wrapped in cloth.  
  
##R'K'M, I hope you know what you're doing. If they suspect, this body will be destroyed. And you know that the people will be guarded against possession. I was lucky this man was mourning the loss of his lover.## The air before him shimmered, and R'K'M appeared, frowning.  
  
**HONESTLY, MUM'M, YOU WORRY TOO MUCH. THERE IS NO ONE WHO COULD STOP US. EVEN THE 'STORM BREAKER' IS STILL WITHIN ANOTHER WORLD. WE ARE SAFE.**  
  
***  
  
"Why hasn't he woken up?" Daisuke asked, his actions displaying his nervousness. He paced the waiting room in the hospital, and it was Rosa who answered him.  
  
"Rikim was known as the 'Soul Collector' for a reason, Daisuke. It is in her nature not only to control the souls of the dead, but to also devour the souls of the living. It is from these souls that she derives her power." Daisuke turned to her, incredulous.  
  
"So he might never wake up?" Rosa shook her head.  
  
"Our only hope would be to find Rikim and destroy her. Only then would the souls be released."  
  
"But how could we follow her? You said that she was in another dimension!"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
***  
  
Miyako handed a glass of lemonade to Osamu, and sat next to him.  
  
"Frankly, we shouldn't worry until we hear news from them. We don't know where they would have taken any wounded, or how to reach them." She lounged back in a chair, watching the bluenette with half a mind.  
  
"I suppose your right; but it's hard waiting around to know Ken could be hurt-or worse."  
  
"Hello? Is...Taichi here?" Miyako stood up and walked to the front door, where she found a red-haired man attempting to get into the apartment.  
  
"May I help you?" she asked acidly. He frowned.  
  
"I'm sorry; I'm looking for Yagami Taichi. It's very important. You see, I know how to help destroy R'K'M."  
  
***  
  
"Daisuke, there's nothing we can do for Ken right now." Rosa looked sympathetically at him. "My family was taken by Rikim as well...it's why I joined the resistance. So many people were killed by the Spiral Bound, or taken by Rikim, that the human race died out. There were only two of us left, when..." She trailed off. The mini-van was silent.  
  
"Wait; Rosa, you said that the Temporal Inhibitor worked off of the same principles as a dimension-jumping device," Yamato said brightly. "Couldn't you just 'freeze' us, and we'd end up in the same-"  
  
"NO!" Rosa blushed, and sat back. "I'm sorry; no, it's not possible. On one hand, the device had only one charge. On the other, there's no guarantee you'd be sent into another diension; you might simply be frozen. On another...there's no way to trace something in the dimensional flux without having traced it from its launching point onward. Rikim could be anywhere." There was another lull of silence, and then Daisuke spoke up.  
  
"So it's hopeless." It was then that Hikari spoke up.  
  
"It's not hopeless. There are...ways to shift the balance to our favor." The attention of the passengers turned to her. "I never shared this, but...when I arrived here, on Earth, I had, and still have, a book. It is known as the 'Sciens Liber'; and it is a sentinent being." She took a deep breath. "It is prophetic, and it can tell us of any ways we may find R'K'M, and destroy her." After her short speech, the atmosphere in the car was noticeably brighter. However, in a few moments, the mini-van turned into the parking lot of the apartment building. And a red-haired man stood there with both Osamu and Miyako. Rosa inhaled in a sharp moment, and said, in awe,  
  
"That's Izumi-hakase!" The red-haired man approached the car slowly, and waited patiently as the passengers ejected themselves onto the sidewalk. The red-haired doctor smiled at Rosa.  
  
"Hello, Rosa. I hope you are well. I've got good news and bad news." They all looked to him expectantly. "The good news is that I have traced the demon R'K'M to her target dimension, and that I have a DimenFlux for your use."  
  
"It sounds too good to be true," Yamato muttered.  
  
"It is. The bad news is, in order to destroy R'K'M, you must use the antithesis to the 'Liber Urbis Diabolorum': the 'Annj ne Zmfdk'r Oqhcd'." There was silence.  
  
"The Book of Angel's Pride?" Iori asked uncertainly. The man nodded.  
  
"The Book alone is able to destroy a demon of the 'Diabolorum'. While the force of R'K'M's book is that of the devil, the Annj is powered by angels."  
  
"Wait a minute," Taichi protested. "I've never heard that language before, yet I understood the title of the book. Why?" Izumi-hakase chuckled.  
  
"The Annj is written in Proto-IndoEuropean, the most basic of all languages. One cannot *help* but to understand it."  
  
"So, how do we find the Annj?" Hikari asked.  
  
"The Annj exists in every dimension. In ours, the Annj was destroyed in the Catashtrophe, when R'K'M came to power. Right now, though, it is under the ownership of William Gates. Therefore, we must find it in the world R'K'M has landed in."  
  
"Which is the problem?" Daisuke ventured. Izumi-hakase nodded.  
  
"She has arrived in a place I call the Dungeon Dimension."  
  
"I don't like the sound of that," Daisuke added. Then, a pink head poked from the door of the apartment, and Mimi spoke.  
  
"I've heard about that!" Nine heads turned to her in shhock. "What?! It's a nice place." Izumi-hakase bowed his head.  
  
"She's half-right. The Dungeon Dimension is a beautiful land, sprinkled with temples, churches, and sprawling palaces. But...it seems to have changed. I believe another demonic influence there attracted R'K'M's spirit. So...I'm sending you to the Dungeon Dimension to find the Annj, but not unprepared. Come, we must go to my lab!"  
  
***  
  
"Awesome!" Daisuke shouted, twirling his oak staff. He was now clothed in red-brown robes, and felt very important. Taichi, standing next to him, was clad mostly in leather, and brandished a broadsword. Hikari was dressed in loose brown robes, and seemed to be armed with a light mace. Jun was dressed in green and armed with a longbow, and Osamu was carrying a large variety of tools, he himself dressed in a motley-colored suit. Rosa had been told that she must stay behind, and was sulking. Yamato was dressed in black and carried several long daggers. Mimi was dressed in a pink dress and had armed herself with a dart gun. Miyako, dressed in brown slacks and a loose tunic, had a dozen throwing kives attatched to her belt. Iori refused to show himself.  
  
"I am not going out there. I look ridiculous."  
  
"These disguises are in the style of the people of the Dungeon Dimension, and each of your disguises have been chosen in respect to your personality and appearance." Izumi-hakase glanced at the group. "Several of you will find an unusual phenomenon occur when you arrive: all scientific knowledge and skill is converted into a like knowledge in magic. This means that most of you will have a grasp of simple spells while in the Dungeon Dimension. Hikari; your...unique position has been translated into the most approximate representation in the Dungeon Dimension: you will be a cleric. I've done all I can do for you; good luck."  
  
"I look absolutely-"  
  
"Oh, suck it up!" Miyako snapped. She pulled aside the changing curtain, to reveal Iori dressed in heavy leather armor, a metal helmet, and an axe. "You're a dwarf?" The giggle nearly escaped her, but she kept it under control.  
  
"Now, please go to the lighted area over there," Izumi-hakase ordered. He wandered over to a bank of controls, and, when the adventurers were assembled, he flipped a switch. The flash of light blinded him, and when it faded, he was left alone in the room. He nodded, and then walked back to the changing area. In a few moments, he was clothed in pure black robes, and armed with an ashwood staff. He turned to the lab's entrance, and the brunette appeared, her long hair+ braided into two long strands, she clothed in an elaborate costume of leather, armor, shields, and several light swords. "Sora, are you ready to go?" She nodded.  
  
"Izumi-hakase, why are we going?" He sighed.  
  
"I need to ensure their safety, and without my expertise, they'll be in danger. But I'll be helping them from behind the scenes. You must help protect them." He brightened suddenly. "There's only one way we can ensure you'll do your best." He approached his control bank again, and spoke into a microphone. "Sora, until you have learned enough to be free from my control, you will be in love with Yagami Taichi. Above all, you must protect him from everything that threatens him. But after that, you are madly, truly, deeply in love with him. Now, let's go." He pushed a few buttons, and then led Sora to the pad. He gestured, and the machine roared to life. With a flash and a roar, they were gone. Rosa sat down against the wall, groaning. It was going to be a long wait, but for now, she'd hang around the lab. If something went wrong, she should be able to help them.  
  
***  
  
They landed, and the army awaited them. The land was crawling with the corps of the Dilex army. At their head was a blue-haired general, who charged for Yamato. Taichi shoved him aside as the warlord's sword sliced through the air, and then chaos fell. The earth erupted as shadowed warriors leapt from pits, and they surrounded Daisuke. The party was separated. The blue-haired lord turned to one of the travelers.  
  
"Who are you?" The dwarf answered him, defiant yet desperate.  
  
"We are the Storm Breaker's guardians." He glared at the being, and snorted.  
  
"All of you, we will take you to the castle. There, we will decide your fate." He gestured, and the members of the party who had not been taken by the wraiths were dragged away, towards a castle of green stone.  
  
***  
  
~Who are you~ The voices echoed in unison through the dark caverns. ~One of the Spee-rall?~ Daisuke cowered from the voices, raising his staff in defense. Suddenly, the voices died away, and a shadowy figure flitted from the darkness.  
  
"He traveled with the Storm Breaker." The voices rose in a murmur, then fell away. "He knows of the Plight. He seeks...the Annj." The voices grew in chorus. "Silence!" The figure engulfed Daisuke, and he felt himself suffocating. Then, it was gone. "He is the Lightning Bearer. He must be tested."  
  
~The test~ the voices cried. ~He must know...~ The shadow bowed, and turned to the darkness. The faint light by which Daisuke had seen grew. He stared as his captors became visible. They were no more than black cloaks, and the leader was distinguished only by a silver lining. Suddenly, the cloaks flashed, and pale-skinned people appeared within the clothing. They back away from him, and the leader, a tall man with wandering eyes, held out his hand.  
  
"Welcome, Lightning-Bearer. I am Owikawa, leader of the Tibepxclan. We will take you to the Test, and, if you survive, we will guide you to that which you seek."  
  
"*If* I survive?"  
  
"Have you ever heard of a basilisk?"  
  
***  
  
Yeah, sorry about this. I just had to end here. And there's the good possibility there won't be another part for a month (If I don't get a part finished by the end of the week, I will enter a three-week period without computer contact). Anyway, please give feedback!  
  
+I frankly believe Sora would look a lot better without that stupid haircut; therefore, meet long-haired Sora! 


	4. Demons, Tests, and Nude Men of Suicide B...

Sweet Possession  
  
Part 4  
by Marduk  
  
***  
  
Disclaimer time! First things first: the characters are not mine. The plot is not mine. The only thing in this story that is mine is the juxtaposition of Sluggy Freelance and Digimon...and any self-insertion that may occur. Thus, please Mr. Abrams, huge multi-million-dollar corporations, don't sue. I make no money from this. For the readers...if the idea of same-sex relationships makes you uncomfortable, leaving now would make us both very happy. If interaction with demons, blatant discussion of witchcraft, and the complete range of what's going on here is outside your range of comfort, leave. I will not be responisble for my actions if you flame me. Arigato. Now proceed.  
  
***  
  
"Basilisk?! But...you can go invisible-like! Can't you just gang up on it and kill it?" Owikawa shook his pale face regretfully.  
"It is not a basilisk, per se. You see, it began four years ago. The leader of the Dilexians, Lord Jyou, was involved in a terrible accident. A rock path collapsed, and he fell into a coma. When he awoke, it was to learn that the same accident had mortally injured his lover. A demon spirited the young man away from the healers', and he was never heard from again. The delicate Jyou lost his grip on reality. He changed his name to Joe, and began acting erratically. It became worse two years ago, and there are rumors that he is possessed. However, my son, Takeru, told Lord Joe that he believed his lover to be alive elsewhere. The man grew angry with him, and responded by cursing him. When he returned, his gaze killed anyone who met it." The man's eyes shimmered with tears. "And our prophets say...that only Lightning Bearer, the one whose emotions can blind demons, can remove the curse. And that man is you." Daisuke nodded, feeling a faint sense of dread descending over him.  
"I...where is he?"  
"I will lead you to his chambers. Remember, do not meet his eyes!"  
"Hai...I'll remember that." The tall, thin man led Daisuke through the twisting passages of the underground habitat. The journey took about five minutes, and then they were standing outside of a thick oaken door. The pale form of Owikawa turned to him, his outline fading as he spoke.  
"Here he is; be careful." The robe bowed, and Daisuke, gripping his staff, opened the door. And met two frightened blue eyes.  
  
***  
  
"Let us out of here! If I'm not in more fitting accomadations in three seconds, I'm going to tear down this dungeon, and castrate every single person in this castle!" Taichi shuddered, and turned away from the ranting Miyako. Yamato was huddled in one corner of the dark, dank cell, talking quietly with Osamu and Jun. Hikari was attempting to give some comfort to Iori, and Mimi was with Miyako, giving vague threats about what would happen if she was not given a warm bath and/or a hairbrush. Suddenly, a guard stormed into the dungeon, and stopped in front of the cell.  
"You there!" He gestured vaguely at the cell. "Joe-sama wishes to speak with you." Mimi straightened her skirt and stepped forward.  
"Finally! Someone's listening to-"  
"No, not you. That blond chick." Blue eyes snapped up to meet the guard's eyes. Ishida Yamato stood up slowly, his eyes never leaving the guard. He reached the bars and stopped.  
"I...am...not...a...'chick'." The man shrugged, and opened the cell door, pulling him through.  
"Whatever. Joe-sama wants to see you."  
  
***  
  
"What do you see?" Koushiro crouched in a gallery overlooking the throne room, watching the proceedings carefully. Sora also watched, holding binoculars to her eyes.  
"Hmm...Lord Joe is waiting for someone, and-I think they want the StormBreaker." There was a pause. "Isn't Taichi the Storm Breaker?"  
"Nani-?" Koushiro snatched the binoculars from her and swore. "Kuso! I thought it was Yagami who...come on, Sora. We have to help them."  
"But...Taichi..." Her voice was striken, and Koushiro suddenly was struck by something.  
'My equipment's back in Japan! Without it...' Sora leapt from her vantage point, avoiding notice as she sped towards her love. 'Kuso...' As Yamato was dragged towards the lord, Koushiro watched intently.  
  
***  
  
"The legendary Storm Breaker...the man who is destined to pull our land from the darkness." Lord Joe chuckled mirthlessly. He stood up, fingering a large, ceremonial sword. "What darkness do you think you can save us from?" Yamato glared coldly at him.  
"Your madness, your despair. You're grieving, Joe-san, so let someone help you." Joe laughed, a bark in the large room.  
"You act as if my mind is all that is sick, but it is my soul that is in danger. They said the Storm Breaker would have magic, and you obviously have none. Off with his head!" An executioner stepped forward, raising an axe. Yamato tried to escape, but was held back by the same guard. The cloaked killer moved closer, readying for the swing.  
"Halt!" Attention swung to a white-cloaked man with red hair. He stepped forward angrily. "Leave him alone!" Joe's eyes narrowed angrily, and then, widened in surprise. The redhead froze under the ruler's gaze.  
"Kou-chan?"  
"Jyou?"  
  
***  
  
"Takeru-san?" The eyes blinked, shocked, and the blond boy fell back.  
"Wha-how-why?" he stammered, sitting down on a low bed in the room. Daisuke looked around the room appreciatively. It was well-furnished and actually quite large, but nevertheless a prison for the cursed child.  
"Nice room."  
"Wait a minute! Wait a-" Takeru shook his head. "I'm cursed! You should be dead by now! How-?"  
"I don't believe in magic," Daisuke replied cheerfully. "Either that or I'm too dumb to let your stupid curse touch me. It's probably the last one, 'cause I'm supposed to help you with your curse." Takeru nodded.  
"Well, what are you going to do?"  
"I..." Daisuke shook his head. "My only experience with curses was from fairy tales, so...I know only one way to break a curse." Takeru opened his mouth, but any comment was cut off by Daisuke's tongue darting into it.  
  
***  
  
Ken: Nooooo!!!!! What are you doing to my precious Dai-chan?  
Marduk: It's called 'conflict', genius boy. But if you keep whining, I'll just make this story a Daikeru right to the end.  
Ken: ...I'll be good...  
Marduk: That's the spirit!  
  
***  
  
**WHAT'S HAPPENED TO MUM'M?** R'K'M paced nervously around the innermost chambers of the Dilexian leader's castle. **HE WAS SUPPOSED TO TALK TO ME AFTER HE KILLED THE STORM BREAKER.** Suddenly, she started. **I FEEL A GREAT DISTURBANCE IN THE...DEMON...SENSE...TYPE...THINGIE** There was a primal scream, and a writhing form appeared before her.  
'I'm sorry...I tried...'  
**WHAT?!** The form melted into nothingness before her eyes. **NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!**  
  
***  
  
Every person in the castle winced at the hideous sound echoing through the building. When the scream died away, Jyou stepped forward, smiling at Koushiro.  
"Kou-chan, is that really you?" He reached out his hand to brush a finger along Koushiro's cheek. The redhead smiled, stepping forward.  
"I knew I'd see you again, Jyou...she wanted to help me, and so...I've been waiting so long..." The room fell silent, watching as the two men embraced each other, weeping. Yamato stepped away from them, slowly backing away until he left the room, after which he turned and ran for the dungeons.  
  
***  
  
"Taichi-koi, hurry up!" Sora pulled the brunette out of the cell, and tried to lead him out of the dungeons, but he shook his head.  
"Look...Sora. I need to wait for Yamato. He's like my best friend, and if we're going, it's with him."  
"Joe-sama was going to kill him," Sora snapped angrily. "So forget about him!" Taichi froze.  
"Kill-!"  
"Hai! Now come on." She tugged on his arm, but Taichi refused to budge.  
"No...I can't believe that Yamato's dead..."  
"Hell, no! You can't get rid of me *that* easy, Yagami!" Taichi glanced at the door, where the familiar blond man stood, grinning sardonically. The brown eyes sparkled with warmth, and Taichi barely resisted throwing himself at the other man. Sora, trained to notice everything, narrowed her eyes. She knew Ishida would be a difficulty; now she saw that he was an obstacle.  
"And what do I do to obstacles?" 'Destroy them!' "BwAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA!"  
"Um...Sora?" She blushed under Taichi's stare.  
"Gomen...just forgot myself, that's all."  
"Ah...okay."  
'Yagami Taichi, you *will* be mine.'  
  
***  
  
The ethereal scream ripped through the underground passageways, sending the two young men apart, shaking from the kiss and the pure agony represented by the scream.  
"Wha-what was that?" Takeru demanded, wrapping his arms around himself.  
"I...don't...know," Daisuke replied softly. The door to the room swung open, and Owikawa stepped in, his body shadowy and nearly invisible.  
"Takeru?" The voice was hesitant. Takeru glanced up at his father and smiled.  
"Otousan, I...I feel normal again." Without a word, Owikawa faded into view and caught his son's gaze. They held for a long moment, and then the man threw himself at his son.  
"Takeru! I...we were so worried. Arigato...arigato gozaimasu, Daisuke-san." Tears ran down both father and son's eyes, and Daisuke smiled at them. He somewhat doubted that the kiss had cured Takeru...but then again, he wasn't complaining. He wondered if Joe might have died, rendering the spell null. That was probably what had happened, but he would let these shadow people think what they wanted. Suddenly, Owikawa looked up to see Daisuke.  
"Daisuke-san, it is true that you are seeking the Annj, ne?"  
"H-hai..."  
"Very well. We can tell you where it is, but...we cannot aid you in your journey. However, we can tell you that even if you find the Annj, it is useless to you unless you bring it to the Storm Breaker."  
"The Storm Breaker?" Takeru nodded, nudging his father aside.  
"The Storm Breaker is the one person who can activate the power of the Annj to destroy a demon. And from what I understand, a demon is what you are after." Then he turned to Owikawa. "'Tousan, why can't I go to help him? It won't *hurt*, will it?" The man frowned thoughtfully.  
"Takeru, you have very recently been...been..." An innocent, pleading look characteristic of any child had found its way onto the young man's face, rendering Owikawa very pliable to his son's wishes. "I...fine. But I'm coming with you."  
"Okay."  
  
***  
  
"No; Koushiro-san told me that Yamato is the Storm Breaker. Thus, he should go try to find the Annj, and Taichi-koi and I will stay behind to help the Dilexians." Sora smiled sweetly at Yamato until Mimi spoke.  
"What about the rest of us?"  
"I'm going with Yama-kun," Jun announced.  
"Me, too," Osamu added, giving a sidelong glance to Jun.  
"And the rest of us will stay here," Hikari replied. Sora nodded, and grabbed Taichi's arm.  
"Well, then, let's get to the throne room, and you guys can get moving."  
"Wouldn't it be a good idea to get some guidance before we try going out to look for something?" Yamato asked. Sora's eyes narrowed, and she nodded once, slowly.  
"Fine. Come with us."  
  
***  
  
**DAMN THAT KOUSHIRO...HE'S RUINED EVERYTHING! THE ONLY WAY I COULD RECTIFY THIS WOULD BE TO DESTROY THEM ALL...HOW REGRETABLE. COME, MY CHILDREN!!!!!!**  
  
***  
  
"Hikari?" Taichi watched nervously as his roommate convulsed on the rock floor.  
"Don't you hear it?! Listen!!!"  
"Kuso; it's the Spiral Bound!" Iori snapped, helping the brown-haired girl up. "Everyone who's died for miles around will become those stupid zombie things. We've got to warn Jyou, and you three-" He pointed at Yamato, Osamu, and Jun, "You three should go. Hopefully you can get far away and get directions from somebody else. We'll try to fight R'K'M from here."  
"Right!"  
  
***  
  
"Jyou-san, something terrible has happened! An army of zombies is surrounding the castle!" Jyou glanced at the messanger, his arm tight around Koushiro's waist.  
"Well, let's send out the troops to face them."  
"No! They'll be slaughtered!" Six people hurried into the throne room, breathing hard from exertion. A young brunette in a loose brown robe stepped forward. "Jyou-san, we can only face these creatures with magic. Anyone who dies fighting them will become one of them."  
"Who are you?" She frowned at him, then bowed.  
"My name is H'kari, Seraphim. I have done you a great favor in the past; the least you could do is listen to me." Koushiro's eyes widened, and he leaned over to speak to Jyou.  
"She is the creature who-" Jyou glared at her.  
"You...guards!"  
"No!" At Koushiro's shout, movement halted. "I would have died had she not taken me into another world. She slowed my aging, hoping that I could find a way back to you. I...she tried to help, Jyou...please, listen to her." The blue-haired lord's face softened, and he turned to Hikari.  
"Speak."  
"Jyou'san, let us fight these creatures, and we will hold them off. Even now, one of our companions has left to seek the Annj ne Zmfdk'r Oqhcd. You see, a powerful demon named R'K'M raises these zombies, and the Annj can destroy her." Jyou nodded.  
"I...yes, go." Koushiro stood as well.  
"Jyou, I will help them as well." The blunette grasped as his lover.  
"No-stay here..." Koushiro shook his head.  
"Jyou, please...I'll come back." Jyou reluctantly released Koushiro's hand, and glanced into his eyes.  
"Promise?"  
"Hai..."  
  
***  
  
Koushiro negligently tossed a fireball at the hordes of zombies, smiling as they burst into flames. Miyako had snapped, and the pieces of various zombies lay scattered on the cobblestone. Mimi had been rather reserved until a zombie had messed up her hair. Despte the fact that they were undead, a number of zombies had been knocked unconscious by her righteous rage. Iori just watched, bemused by his companions' antics, wincing appropriately when something violent happened. Sora...well, like Miyako, she had performed her fair share of dismemberments. She wasn't actively destroying, though, only breaking any zombie that threatened Taichi, who looked disappointed to not use his sword. Hikari was hurling balls of white light that melted the zombies at a touch. She claimed she was healing them, but whatever was happening, it got rid of them. Despite the vast hordes of zombies, they had all been rendered useless in 90 minutes. Miyako looked around, frowning at the carnage.  
"Damn it! There's nothing left to kill! Unless..." She turned her attention to Taichi, pulling out a throwing knife. "You wouldn't mind if I maimed you a little, would you, roomie?" She froze as a swift kick knocked the knife from her hands, and hands wrapped around her throat, cutting off her air supply.  
"Sora! Stop! She didn't mean it! Let go!" The brunette stepped away, shooting death glares at Miyako, but then glomped Taichi.  
"I'm so glad you're all right, Tai-koi!" Taichi winced, and Koushiro blushed nervously. Hikari caught the blush, and looked oddly at Koushiro.  
"Izumi-hakase...what's going on?" He glanced at Sora, and frowned.  
"Well, I thought...I thought that Taichi was the one who would need protecting...I didn't realize...I found Sora years ago, or, rather, a few years in the future, wandering the streets. I found she didn't age, didn't get sick, and was strong as an ox. I trained her, and found that she was extremely susceptible to mind control. I decided that she would be the perfect weapon, defense...when I came back in time, she came with me. And when you guys were going to cross the dimensional borders, I thought you would need protection...and, well, I told her to be in love with Taichi. Um...in hindsight, it wasn't the best idea."  
"Not the...not the?" Hikari was flabbergasted, and just threw up her hands. "Not the *best* idea? That's just about the *worst* idea I've ever heard! Making a confused young woman fall in love with some guy so he doesn't get killed? Besides, Taichi can take perfect care of himself! Make her stop!"  
"Well, you see, that's the problem. The equipment is back in your universe, and it only reacts to me. And...I've proven that it's a law of the multiverse, that any one person can ever leave his own universe once. I've done that, so...I can't go back, and I can't reverse it from here. Sorry."  
"Then how can we get your freaky assassin woman out of love with Tai-kun?"  
"Nosce te ipsum. Know yourself."  
  
***  
  
Sometimes, fate works in the oddest ways. Sometimes, it works to bring together people who need to meet or conspire to make great things happen. And so, it was quite surprising when Yamato, Jun, and Osamu found themselves standing outside of a large, forbidding cave when Owikawa, Takeru, and Daisuke got there.  
"Yamato?" Daisuke was surprised, and forgot to realize that he was holding Takeru's hand. "What-?"  
"Daisuke? I...who's this?" Daisuke glanced down at his hand, and blushed furiously.  
"This is Takeru...he was cursed, and I...uncursed him. This is Owikawa, his father. I...they're leading me to find the Annj."  
"What a coincidence," Yamato remarked dryly. "So, is this it?" Owikawa nodded.  
"The Cave of Spoo. There are three gates and three challenges to face."  
"Spoo..." Jun wrinkled her brow. "Isn't that-"  
"'Oops' spelled backwards?" Osamu finished.  
"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" Yamato asked rhetorically.  
  
***  
  
(Welcome to the Cave of Spoo! I will ask you a riddle, and if you answer incorrectly, you will DIE!!!!) Yamato frowned at the guardian snake, and shrugged.  
"Okay."  
(What's black and white and red all over?)  
"A panda with diaper rash!"  
"A newspaper!"  
"An embarassed zebra!"  
"A skunk in a blender!"  
"Dalmation roadkill!"  
"A pimply mime!" The snake glared at them.  
(Sorry. The answer was 'a bat with lesions'. You'll have to die now.)  
"Bats are brown," Yamato snapped.  
"And lesions occur under the fur, so you wouldn't see it," Owikawa pointed out.  
(So? My answer makes as much sense as yours!)  
"Well, if they're just as good, can't we go through, then?" The snake glared for a full minute at Jun, and then the wall slid aside to reveal another chamber.  
(Oh, go the hell through!) They stepped through, and another snake watched them.  
^You must pass the test of strength!^ Rocks fell from the ceiling, hitting them on the head.  
"Itai! What was that for?" The wall slid away.  
^You passed!^ The next chamber was much the same.  
%You must pass the test of spirit!% More rocks fell, and swearing echoed in the chamber.  
"Stop throwing rocks on us!" Daisuke snapped.  
%Geeze, you had *terrible* spirit. You should be more like him; he has great spirit.% Yamato swayed a bit.  
"Sure, Miyako, I'll let you photograph me nude. Chocolate sauce? Nooooo problem."  
"You knocked him silly!"  
%There is innocence in concussions. Go on ahead.% They moved through the door onto a stone bridge, on the other side of which was a platform holding a shining tome.  
"There it is..." Yamato whispered. "Let's go."  
**I think not,** Takeru whispered. He punched Daisuke, and suddenly was holding the OmniTaser Supreme. **It's a shame; the test of spirit broke my neck. Now...I'm R'K'M's. Now...** He pointed a piece of the taser at Yamato, and held the other near him. Daisuke grinned.  
'He's holding it backwards...'  
**Die, fools!** The shock of the taser sent him flying over the edge of the bridge. **Noooo! But be warned...R'K'M has seen you through my eyes. Soon, she will be here to destroy you! Ahahahahahahaha-SPLAT!** His voice had been getting softer as he fell. Daisuke looked over the edge.  
"I...it's not as deep as we thought, is it?"  
"No...he just said the word 'splat'," Yamato commented.  
**Darn it!**  
  
***  
  
**TEST ME, SO I MAY ENTER THE CAVE OF SPOO.** The snake glanced down at the spidery demon.  
'All right...no fooling. It's 'bat with lesions' or she's going down.'  
(What is black and white and makes you duck when it moves by?)  
**A NUN WITH A SPEAR THROUGH HER HEAD.**  
(Dammit! I give up! Go on, do whatever the hell you want here! And tell your friends, it's open house at the Cave of Spoo!)  
  
***  
  
"I can't believe it...he's dead." Owikawa stared down at the pit, tears running down his face. He turned to Daisuke, his face determined. "I'll go back; I'll try to hold R'K'M off, and you get the book. I'll die, probably, but if you kill her, I'll be fine. I'll finally see Akane again, and Takeru..." Daisuke nodded.  
Yamato ran forward, and pulled the book from its perch.  
"Here...the Annj ne Zmfdk'r Oqhcd. I...but there's no way we'll ever be able to defeat her with this!"  
"What are you talking about, Ishida?" Daisuke demanded.  
"It's a cliche. By announcing that we'll never win, it's almost guaranteed that we will."  
"What, like saying 'It can't get anyw worse?'" Jun asked. There was a low rumbling, and then an eight-limbed figure burst onto the bridge.  
**HI, KIDS!**  
"You just had to say it, 'Neechan," Daisuke muttered.  
  
***  
  
**HELLO, STORM BREAKER. YOU'RE PROPHESIED TO DEFEAT ME, SO I'M GOING TO HAVE TO BITE YOUR HEAD OFF; NO HARD FEELINGS?** Yamato screamed as R'K'M grabbed him, opening her huge mouth.   
"Stop! If you move, I'll unsummon you with the Annj!" Daisuke held a tome in front of him authoritatively. "And-eek!" A sword lanced through the book, and R'K'M grabbed it. There was a moment of silence.  
**YOU WERE GOING TO SEND ME BACK TO HELL WITH A SPELL ENTITLED "TURN-OFFS: DISCO DANCING AND KUNG-FU MOVIES"?** R'K'M flipped to the front of the book. **NUDE MEN OF SUICIDE BADMINTON? THIS ISN'T THE ANNJ!**  
"Well..." Daisuke blushed a fiery red. "You see..."  
"Thanks for the distraction, Dai! Yamato, use the book!!!!" Yamato, engulfed by the light of the Annj, looked sadly at Jun.  
"I...  
...I...  
...I can't read it!"  
  
***  
  
Wow. Death, destruction, a little bit of Daikeru, and an insane assassin in love with Tai! What could be more exciting? A cliff-hanger! Cool, ne? Well, I think I'll just abandon this project right now; it's gone far enough.  
Ken: I'm still in a coma!  
Daisuke: R'K'M's going to kill us all!  
Mimi: MY HAIR IS A MESS!!!  
Marduk: Geeze! Yeah, I'll get the next part out soon. Until then- 


	5. The Return, the Escape, and the Omnipres...

Sweet Possession  
  
Part 5  
by Marduk  
  
***  
  
People, you know the drill by now. A number of corporations own Digimon, and Pete Abrams owns Sluggy Freelance. I am not trying to sell this, so please don't sue. And if you've gotten this far without realizing that yaoi and yuri are prevelant here, well, I pity you.  
  
***  
  
**HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!** R'K'M snatched the book from Yamato, still laughing. **OF COURSE YOU CAN'T READ IT; THIS BOOK IS NOT MADE FOR BUGS LIKE YOU! I'LL JUST DESTROY IT NOW, MAKE SURE NO ONE CAN...** There was a long pause, and when she looked up, her face was panicked. **MY EYES!!!!!** The scream was deafening, bone-chilling. **NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!** Blue light engulfed the spiderlike creature, whose body began to shatter apart. **NO NO NO NO!! THIS CAN'T HAPPEN!** When the light cleared, she had shrunk into a tiny spider. Yamato walked over and stepped on her.  
"I couldn't read it because there were no words, only pictures," he explained. Daisuke looked over his shoulder, and smiled at the pictures. They instilled in him a sense of pure contentment, much like that he had felt when he was dating-no! He shook off that train of thought.  
"So. Now what are we going to do?"  
"Get back home."  
  
***  
  
"Sora. Why do you love me?" Taichi glanced at her sadly. "I...why did you let Koushiro force you into this?"  
"I've never really known who I was. He told us; I met him wandering on the street. I had amnesia, and he was the only person who cared about me. And he...he told me what he expected me to be. And when I did that, I had an identity. I...that's all it is. He gives me something to know about myself, so...so that's what I do. But it doesn't change the fact that I love you. I'd do anything for you, Taichi." Taichi gulped.  
"Even...even let me go?" Her eyes narrowed.  
"I love you, Taichi. I won't let you go." Taichi groaned, running a hand through his brown hair.  
"Sora...I don't love you."  
"It's the blond...ne?"  
"Hai...Sora, why can't you-?"  
"I love you." Taichi sighed and stood up from the chair in one of the many conference rooms in the castle.  
"Sora..."  
"Tai-kun! What the hell do you think you're doing up here with that hussy?" Taichi whirled to face the purple-haired psycho that *was* Miyako.  
"Miya...you might want to lay off the insults. Anyway, I'm trying to get her to stop being in love with me."  
"*snrk*! Tai-kun, she's brainwashed. As Koushiro-san said, she has to know herself before she can make her own decisions. Therefore...I brought our resident know-it-all."  
"Koushiro? He said he couldn't help!"  
"Baka! No, the 'Sciens Liber'. Hikari's prophet book." She walked into the room and dropped the tome onto the table. "Let's see...P for 'person', name...Sora...what's your last name, honey?"  
"I don't know!" Sora snapped, tearing up. "I told you, I have amnesia!"  
"Ah...well, why don't you take a look in the book, see if it has any answers." Sora approached it nervously. When her hand brushed the cover, it shuddered, and flipped to the front. It was a dozen pages prefacing the book. Miyako leaned over to read it.  
"As a result of the disturbances that released several dangerous tomes into the world, Takenouchi Sora, head librarian, has been banished from our realm. As a result of her iterference in human affairs, Kamiya Hikari has been banished from our realm. For his-this is some sort of record of offenses! And they all seem to talk about the same type of people...Sora, I think you're an Angel." Sora's eyes flickeredd warningly at the words.  
"I...that *sounds* familiar. I-" She froze. "Oh, no...it's all my fault. Everything, the death, the destruction, all my fault! I..." She fell against the table, eyes watering. Suddenly, she glanced at the book again. "It's changing..."  
"Based upon new information we have received, it has been shown that Takenouchi Sora and Kamiya Hikari have fought to rectify the error made on the part of Takenouchi Sora. As a result, both of their crimes will be pardoned. However, it has been deemed that Kamiya Hikari would fair better as a guardian angel in the univrse in which she has been residing. Takenouchi Sora will return to her post-Congratulations, Sora." Sora shook her head vaguely.  
"I...this is so sudden. For so long, I couldn't remember, and now...I remember everything, and they're giving me my job back, and-" She swooned, and Taichi jumped to catch her. Her eyes opened suddenly, and she smiled at Taichi. "Arigato, Taichi. I...wish you happiness." She pushed herself up, and handed the book to Miyako. "I think you should leave...we're very private about these sort of things. Remember to tell Hikari..." Taichi nodded, and ushered Miyako out the door.  
  
***  
  
"Thank you all, very much," Jyou murmured, tightening his grip around Koushiro's shoulders. "And now, as payment for your help in ridding our world of two hideous demons, as you have requested, you will be sent home. Kou-chan?" Koushiro raised one hand, and the group of travelers faded from view. Koushiro's eyes narrowed slightly after they were gone. "Is something the matter?"  
"I...it felt as if I sent a bit more mass than there should have been...it's probably nothing." He leaned over and gave Jyou a kiss.  
  
***  
  
Osamu hurried from the lab in which they had appeared, looking for a phone. A few minutes her returned, smiling.  
"Guys! He's awake again, and they've released him from the hospital. Let's get back to his apartment, and we can all welcome him." Daisuke followed along with them, his mind on another subject. Takeru, that cute blond, had died...because of him. He felt an ache in his chest at the other man's death. It had been so sudden, so unfair...why couldn't he do anything about it? And why did he miss him so much?  
  
***  
  
After everything had settled, Ken was getting rid of many of the items he had used in the service of the Liber.  
"I'm glad you're getting rid of that stuff, Ken-chan. It had me really worried. Anyway, we can get back to normal now, right?" As Osamu continued talking, Ken found his attention drawn to a coffee cup he was holding. He drew his hands away from it, and it hovered in the air unstably. As Osamu's voice droned, cracks spread across the cup, and it suddenly shattered.  
"Ken?"  
"Nothing! Nothing happened!" He quickly shoved the shards into the garbage, feeling his heart rate soaring. It was nothing. It was absolutely nothing. Nothing. **NOTHING**  
  
***  
  
Well, that's it for "Sweet Possession". Yes, I really have finished the story. However, the tale is not complete. It will be continued in two more stories, "The Same Boat", and "Lost Hearts". Until then- 


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